To some people, the idea of sin is silly. People laugh and boast about their sinful deeds. They don't realise the serious consequences of sin. But sin is no joke to God. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit convicts us of the gravity of our sins.

Other people seem to take sin seriously, yet fail to properly understand the problem of sin and how God solves it. We call these people "legalists".

Legalism is an attempt to address sin by imposing burdensome regulations, punishments, and guilt. Those who reject that path are viewed as morally loose and making light of sin.

The Biblical doctrine of sin is not legalistic. But it does take sin seriously, because of the basic facts on which the doctrine of sin is built.

What God Names as Sin

Firstly we take sin seriously because of what the Bible identifies as sin.

In the following passages you will find lists of things which God views as sin. It is important that you look up these passages to see for yourself what God regards as sin. For your convenience, each of the references is linked to the WEB (World English Bible) in a separate window, or you can just look them up in your own Bible.

Mrk 7:21-22 | Gal 5:19-21 | 1Co 6:9-10 | 1Tm 1:9-10 | Rev 21:8 | Rev 22:15.

Whilst those verses don't list absolutely every sin, they don't merely scratch the surface either. They show us clearly and comprehensively what God regards as sin.

These lists include such things as:

• adultery
• murder
• blasphemy and profanity
• pride
• idolatry and sorcery
• drunkeness
• envy and jealousy
• heresy
• sodomy
• theft and extortion
• kidnapping
• lying and perjury
• lawlessness and rebellion

Imagine a person whose life and nature was characterised by any five of these things. Would you want that person as your friend? No way, nor would God. These things manifestly deserve God's condemnation as "sins" and deserve to be treated seriously.

Unlike God, legalists prefer to deal in trivial details, and obscure points of law. The "sins" which they invent are regarded by sensible folk as too silly to take seriously.

God Hates Sin

Secondly, we take sin seriously because we understand that God hates sin .

"You, Lord, have loved righteousness and hated iniquity" (Psa 45:6-7, Heb 1:8-9).

If God hates sin, then it must indeed be serious. Moreover, what God hates Satan delights in. Therefore anyone who practices sin pleases and serves the Devil (1Jn 3:7-10, 2Th 2:7-12).

Sin Causes Eternal Death

Thirdly, we take sin seriously because of the consequences of sin .

The wages of sin is everlasting death (Rom 6:23). Nobody will ever say anything more serious than what Jesus will say in judgment: "Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire" (Mtt 25:41,46).

Consider the enormous number to whom Jesus will utter those words (Rom 3:9,23 5:12, 1Jn 5:19). This death toll is terrible, as serious as anything can be.

Jesus Died for Sin

Fortunately God has made a way by which anyone can escape eternal death. One might say, "Oh good! That makes sin a lot less serious, doesn't it!" But one would be quite wrong to say something like that.

God had to give his unique and beloved Son to die cruelly upon the cross and to shed his blood so that we should not perish (Jhn 3:16).

The Just for the unjust had to humble himself and lay down his life (1Pe 3:18 Php 2:5-8). If we will behold the Lamb of God being led to the slaughter, surely we will see the seriousness of sin (Isa 53:3-6).

Review Questions

1. Find fault with the following statement:- When Jesus died on the cross, he made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven, so now sin has ceased to be a serious problem.

2. In what ways does the Bible show us the seriousness of sin?

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